Why can't I ever get anything done?

Recently, I have gone from checking email and blogs daily to maybe once or twice a week. Why? you may ask. It is because everytime I walk into the office, there is "someone" (a someone who loves to climb up on chairs and tables) up there occupying the desk. So, if I don't update here very often, or respond to email for days, please know I'm just trying to reclaim my computer!

I wonder when the novelty of trashing the office will wear off for this boy? (If I don't catch him in time, then he will push everything off of the desk and start emptying drawers. Oh, I am so grateful that the file drawers have locks!)

Jacob's birthday!

Jacob's birthday was very low key! We got him a truck that hauls cars, a maze book,and a box of mac 'n' cheese. And what was he most excited about? The mac 'n' cheese... What a fun guy he is!
I can always count on Jacob to be the most exciting man on the block! He tells me he loves me, and then licks me to prove his point (he is into the "be a dog" thing!) He loves to cuddle (even at 2 am), and he loves to read his monster books. He has been the source of my greatest stress so far (throwing himself from the 2nd story window was one of my greatest nightmares!), and the source of my greatest mess (let's just say it had something to do with 75 lbs of sugar and 1 1/2 gallons of honey... if you lived within the continental US at the time, you probably heard me scream...). But he is tender and sweet, curious and full of energy, and he has taught us to love differently than any other. So, here's to you, Jake, and the hope that we keep you alive long enough to serve your mission!

Jacob chillin on the beanbag

Jake's first trip to Disneyland!

first steps

He loves brownies - just like his mom!

first buzz cut

Riding the pony

Hiking the Y with dad and brothers

Jacob "I guess I can't fly" Hall with his skull in pieces...

At the pond with his brothers

Playing in the snow

SeaWorld in 2008

Yay! We made it to 4!!! (he wanted a pudding cake, so that's what he got!)

We love you Jacob, and we're so glad you're part of our family!

Weekend of Fun, Continued

Caeden and Noelle Wilkins enjoying Oktoberfest at Snowird!

Ok, back to Labor Day weekend... (Week of busy-ness got in the way this last week!) After spending an evening at Swiss Days, we (meaning the Wilkins family and ours) went up to Snowbird to play.
We jumped on the bungee-trampoline,

rode the Alpine Slide,

did the zip-line (sorry, no picture - I was afraid I'd drop the camera and never find it again!),

rode on the mechanical bull,

went up to the top of the mountain on the tram,

then hiked down and rode the Peruvian chair lift down,
climbed the rock wall (Jordan actually made it to the top and Zachary came within a foot! - bummer that my camera battery was dead by then...), and then we took the kids home to collapse.
Sunday was spent attending church, eating scones and playing games, then Monday, the rainy labor day, we slept in, cleaned house, ate chicken tacos and watched "Bill Cosby - Himself." Ahh, it was a very good weekend!

Our fun weekend

Labor Day weekend was going to be a camping trip up to Bear Lake, but when we found out that there were Sunday conflicts that we needed to be back for, and plus there was a forcast that included rain (and SNOW at the higher elevations!!), we decided we would make it our "Weekend O' Fun" at home. We started off by doing a barbecue with the Wilkins family (the family with whom we would have been camping) - Actually, Aaron and the boys barbecued with Dave and their kids while Kristie Wilkins and I went to Swiss Days, the mecca for mormon women. There had to be at least 200 craft booths! So much fun to just get out and look around and get some ideas of things I want to do for our home. I bought one thing - a 16" tile that has a great family mission statement. It says:

In this home
WE BELIEVE
in living deeply, laughing often,
and loving always.
WE BELIEVE
we were brought together
to support and care for each other.
WE BELIEVE
in celebrating together...
our faith, our heritage, our traditions.
WE BELIEVE
that everyone's feelings count, and that
the uniqueness of each strengthens all of us.
WE BELIEVE
in the power of forgiveness to heal
and the power of love to carry us through.
WE BELIEVE
in one another; In this family;
IN THIS HOME.

I know we're not perfect, but this is the kind of home that I want my boys to live in - where we love each other, celebrate each other, and believe in each other.

Do you see all the teeth?

This boy is the toothy-est boy I have ever had!!! He now has 16 teeth!!! His molars are in, the ones next to them are almost in, and then he has the 8 that he sprouted when he was 5-8 months old. Compare that to Jordan, whose teeth didn't even break the gums until after his first birthday... He's taking it really well, though. We have grumpy days, but really, considering that he's got teeth erupting out of his mouth like lava from a volcano, he's being a champ. Gotta love this boy!

Caeden's haircut

Before

This past week Caeden decided to experiment with cutting his own hair. He cut a huge chunk out of his bangs. It didn't look too bad as long as we combed it to the side, but by the end of the week, I couldn't stand it any more. This morning I "evened it out..." At least he'll have a cool head for the rest of the summer.
After

Little muncher...

Guess who's discovered the apple basket? He loves the apples, just not the peels. Those he just spits out... where ever he may be standing... But it's funny to watch him finish a whole apple. He's getting so big so fast!

Another reader in the family!

Levi makes me smile!
He's really getting into books recently. He has decided that Jacob's "Blue's Clues Thinking Chair" is one of his favorite spots to sit in when we're in Jacob's room. He'll grab a book or two off of the bookshelf and sit himself down and "read." I love my smart boys!

Aaron's adventure

Aaron and some of his co workers went mountain biking this weekend. It had been a while since Aaron last went biking, but he was excited to go. They biked the trail called the "Wasatch Ridge." Aaron had quite the adventure. He puked on his shoes, which was only appropriate since he had just finished a big climb called "Puke Hill." He wiped out about 4 times, bent his rear tire, and discovered that his 11 year old bike isn't quite as cool as what we thought it was when we first bought it. He also learned that if you are going to go mountain biking along the Wasatch crest, you need to change out the road tires!!! At the end of the day, after a long bath, lots of ibuprofin, 4 stitches in his elbow, and a good scrubbing of his shoes, he was glad he went.

Meet Senator Hall!

These first few weeks of school have been busy! We do so much homework!!! We have to track reading minutes, physical activity minutes, music practice, and homework, then send the logs in to the teachers to get credit. On top of all the fun learning we are doing, Jordan decided to run for "B-Track President!" He made it past the primaries, and came in second in the run-off on Friday, which means he is the b track senator. He was a little bummed not to have won, but is excited to be a part of the student council. I'm thinking, it's not bad for a first run at office. And I'm really happy to not have to make any more posters or help him with his speeches... Now he gets to go to meetings and feel important... I'm glad that my kids want to be involved. I surely wasn't that kind of kid!